Hej. 13. A.D. 634.

cens.

SIEGE OF DAMASCUS.

daunted by the Arabs. The battle continued till night parted them; Thomas all the while continued in the gate, meditating revenge. When it was dark, he sent for the chief men of the city, and not at all daunted, said to them, "Look ye, you have to do with a people who have neither good manners, nor religion, nor any faith or honesty belonging to you, and them; and if they should make any agreement with give you security, they will never stand to their word, but lay And can you bear to see what is the whole country waste. dearest to you invaded, and your poor children made slaves, and yourselves turned out of house and harbour, and deprived of all the conveniences of life?" To this appeal they replied, "That they were ready at his service, either to fight upon the walls, or to sally." Upon this he ordered them every man to make ready with all possible speed and all the silence imaginable, that they might not give the least alarm to the SaraAll the armed men were drawn up at the several gates, and upon a signal given by one single stroke upon a bell, the gates were all opened at the same instant; the Christians (some few only excepted, who were left to secure the gates and the walls) sallied out altogether, and poured in upon the Saracen camp like a torrent, in hopes of finding them wounded and tired, and altogether unprovided to receive so vigorous an attack. The whole camp was immediately alarmed; and as soon as Kaled knew it, he said, "O God, who never sleepest, look upon thy servants, and do not deliver them into the hands of their enemies." Then he ordered Feljan Ebn Zeyad to supply his place, and rode with four hundred men as fast as he could, for the tears lay upon his cheeks for the concern he had upon him for his dear Saracens. The care of Serjabil and Abu Obeidah made him very anxious, being well aware of Thomas's valour. When he came near the gate, he found how things stood; Thomas had fallen violently upon the Saracens, and before he came out, commanded his men to give quarter to none but the general; the engines playing all the while upon the camp, being worked by the Thomas was again engaged with his Jews in Damascus. former adversary Serjabil. Aban's wife was among Serjabil's men, and did great execution with her bow and arrows, till she had spent them all but one, which she kept to make signs with as she saw occasion: presently one of the Christians

advanced up towards her; she shot him in the throat, and killed him, and was then taken prisoner. Serjabil at last struck a violent stroke, which Thomas receiving upon his buckler, Serjabil's sword broke. Thomas thought himself sure of him, and had certainly either killed him, or taken him prisoner, but Abdarrhaman, and Aban, the son of Othman, who was afterwards caliph, came up at that instant with a regiment of fresh horse, and rescued both him and Aban's wife. Thomas, perceiving the Saracens came in so fast upon him, retired into the city. Abu Obeidah, as we said before. was posted at the gate Jabiyah; he was in his tent when the Christians first sallied out, and immediately went to prayers. Afterwards, whilst his men were engaged, he took a party, and got between the Christians and the city; so that they were surrounded, and charged on both sides. They made a quick despatch of them, for never a man that went out at that gate, returned again. And though those that sallied at the other gates escaped something better, yet the Christians had no reason to boast of any advantage, having lost that night several thousand men.

The Christians, being now quite disheartened, came about Thomas, with repeated entreaties to surrender; they told him, they had lost above half their men, and what were left were not sufficient for the defence of the town. At last they told him in plain terms, that he might manage as he pleased for himself, but for their parts they were resolved to get as good terms for themselves as they could. Thomas, however, endeavoured to persuade them to wait till he should write to the Grecian emperor, which accordingly he did without delay. The Saracens continued vigorously to press the siege, and reduced the inhabitants to very great straits, who every day made a worse defence. For a while at last, they begged of Kaled to stay the assault, that they might have a little time to deliberate. But he turned a deaf ear to them, for he had rather take the town by force, and put the inhabitants to the sword, and let his Saracens have the plunder, than that they should surrender, and have security for their lives and their property. But Abu Obeidah was of a quite different disposition, a well-meaning, merciful man, who had rather at all times that they should surrender, and become tributaries, than be exposed to any extremity; and this the besieged

knew very well. One night, therefore, they sent out a messenger that understood Arabic, through the gate where Abu Obeidah was posted, who, calling to the sentinels, desired safe conduct for some of the inhabitants of Damascus to come to their master Abu Obeidah, in order to confer upon a capitulation. As soon as Abu Obeidah was informed of this, he was very much pleased, and sent Abu Hobeirah to the Damascenes, to assure them that they should have free liberty to go where they pleased. They asked him whether or no he was one of Mohammed's companions, that they might depend upon him? He told them that he was, but that made no difference; for if the meanest slave among those of his religion had given them security, it would have been all one, for he would have performed it, because God had said, in the book which he sent to their prophet Mohammed, "Perform your covenant, for that shall be called to an account."* Upon this, about a hundred of the chief of the citizens and clergy went out, and when they came near the camp, some of the Saracens met them, and, taking off their girdles, conducted them to Abu Obeidah's tent; who used them very civilly, and bid them sit down, and told them that his prophet Mohammed had commanded them to pay respect to persons of rank and quality. They were very glad to find him so courteous, and when they came to talk of terms, they first desired that their churches might be secured to them, and not in any way alienated. He granted them seven churches, and gave them a writing, but did not set his own name to it, nor any witnesses, because he was not general. Then he went, attended with about a hundred men, to take possession. When he came to the gates he demanded hostages; which being delivered, he entered into the city.

Kaled was altogether ignorant of this transaction, and was, at the very same time when this business was concluded, making a sharp assault at the east gate, being especially provoked at the loss of Kaled Ebn Saïd (the brother of Amrou Ebn Al Aas, by the mother's side), whom one of the besieged had shot with a poisoned arrow. In the meantime, there came to Kaled from the town one Josias a priest, who told kim, that having been long conversant with ancient writings

Koran, chap. xvii. 36.

and prophecies, and especially the prophet Daniel, he was abundantly satisfied of the future greatness of the Saracenic empire; and proffered his service to introduce him and his army into the town, upon condition that Kaled would grant him security for him and his. Whether any conviction that he had met with in reading that prophet, or the desire he had to preserve himself, was the prevailing motive with him, I shall not determine. Neither did Kaled much trouble himself on this head, but gave him his hand as a pledge that he would perform the required condition, and sent with him an hundred men, most of them Homerites, (a warlike tribe of the Arabs) whom he ordered as soon as they had entered the city to cry out as loud as they could Allah Acbar, and make themselves masters of the gates, and break the bolts, and remove the chains, that he with the rest of the army might march into the city without any difficulty. This was accordingly performed. The poor Christians, as soon as ever they heard the Tecbir (so the Arabs call the exclamation, Allah Acbar), knew at once that the city was lost; and were seized with such an astonishment, that their very weapons fell out of their hands. Kaled entered at the east gate with his Saracens, putting all to the sword, and Christian blood streamed down the streets of Damascus. Thus they went on murdering all they found, till they came to St. Mary's church, where they met with Abu Obeidah and his company. When Kaled saw Abu Obeidah and his men in their march, and the priests and monks before them, and all the Saracens with their swords by their sides, not so much as one drawn, he wondered what was the matter. Abu Obeidah perceived in him tokens of dislike, and said, "God has delivered the city into my hands by way of surrender, and saved the believers the trouble of fighting." At which Kaled was very angry, and said, that he had taken it by the sword, and they should have no security. Abu Obeidah told him, that he had given them an article in writing, which they had here to show: And how," said Kaled, came you to agree with them, without acquainting me first? Did not you know me? Did not you know that I am your general, and master of your counsels? And therefore I will put them every one to the sword." But Abu Obeidah remonstrated with him saying, "I did not think, that when I had made an agreement, or

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designed to do anything, you would ever have contradicted me, or have gone about to make it void. But you shall not make it void, for I have given all these people my protection, and that in the name of God and his prophet; and all the Mussulmans that were with me liked it, and approved it, and we are not accustomed to be worse than our word."

There was a great noise made on both sides, and Kaled would not abate his fury. The greedy Arabs that were with him were eager to fall on, and thirsted after blood and plunder. The poor inhabitants were now in a very calamitous condition, and all of them would have been murdered or made slaves, if Abu Obeidah had not stood their friend; who, seeing the Arabs fall on, killing some and taking others prisoners, was extremely concerned, and called out in a passion, "By Allah,* my word is looked upon as nothing, the covenant which I make is broken." Then he turned his horse, and rode about among the soldiers, and said, “I adjure you, by the apostle of God, that you meddle with none of them, till you see how Kaled and I can adjust this matter." With much difficulty he made them forbear. At last, the other generals came up, and they all went together into the church to debate this affair. Several inclined to the most merciful side, for which they gave this very weighty reason, viz. That there were a great many cities still to be taken, and if it should once be reported about the country, that the Saracens had broken their engagement, after they had given security, they could never expect any other place to surrender, but all would make the most obstinate defence imaginable. At last, some advised that Kaled should have the disposal of that part of the town which he had taken by the sword, and Abu Obeidah of that which he had taken upon articles; at least till such time as they could appeal to the caliph, and be determined by his sentence. This was so reasonable a proposal, that Kaled could not refuse it; so at last he consented that the people should have their protection, but that no quarter should be given to Thomas and Herbis, nor any of their soldiers. Abu Obeidah told him, that they were all

Arab. "Wallah," an oath frequently used by the Arabs, who do not account it any profanation of the divine name to swear by it; but rather an acknowledgment of his omnipotence and omnipresence: and therefore we find it used by the most religious among them.